• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money

2

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

3

The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously thought as the U.S. shoots down Iranian drones threatening ships and provides 'naval overwatch'

1

'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money

2

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

3

The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously thought as the U.S. shoots down Iranian drones threatening ships and provides 'naval overwatch'
TechGoogle

J.J. Abrams Will Tell the Story of Google’s ‘Moon Shot’

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 3, 2016, 2:35 PM ET
Producer and director J.J. Abrams poses on the red carpet for a screening of the film "Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation" in New York
Producer and director J.J. Abrams poses on the red carpet for a screening of the film "Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation" in New York July 27, 2015. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid - RTX1M1TLPhotograph by Brendan McDermid — Reuters

J.J. Abrams, who has just come off directing the most successful Star Wars film in the franchise’s history, is now working with Google on another space project.

Abrams has teamed with Google (GOOGL) to produce a “documentary web series” called Moon Shot about Google’s Lunar XPRIZE, the company announced on Thursday. The series will follow some of the teams hoping to win the lion’s share of Google’s $30 million prize for successfully landing a privately funded rover on the moon, travel 500 meters, and send high-definition videos and images back to Earth.

The first team to achieve its mission will win $20 million while the second team will win $5 million. The remaining $5 million will be distributed to teams that hit several milestones, including landing, mobility, and imaging.

Google’s Lunar XPRIZE was announced back in 2007 to bolster entrepreneurial interest in space exploration. Google says that it picked the moon as the teams’ destination because of its “exciting opportunities for discovery in the fields of science, technology, resource detection and utilization, and human habitation.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Since then, 19 teams from around the world have signed on to try to reach the moon. Teams have until the end of this year to obtain a verified launch contract, meaning they have the rocket ready to send their rover to the moon. Next year, the teams will compete to be the first to reach the moon. The competition will end on Dec. 31, 2017, regardless of whether a team has actually succeeded in its mission.

Bringing Abrams aboard gives the documentary some much-needed star power. Abrams has most recently directed the wildly popular and record-shattering Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The film was the first in the famed Star Wars franchise to not be directed by the franchise’s creator George Lucas. It was, however, widely lauded by critics and dedicated fans, alike.

The One Way J.J. Abrams Can’t Beat George Lucas

Abrams’ involvement in Moon Shot is in keeping with his apparent interest in space. In addition to Star Wars, Abrams was also involved in Star Trek films over the last several years. He’ll also be executive producer on the next Star Wars film.

While Moon Shot won’t depict fictitious characters, it will follow some of the teams competing for Google’s prize across nine episodes. A trailer suggests the show will be focus on team members and follow them on their journey to the moon.

“This character-driven, emotional, awe-inspiring series of 9 short films will follow a selection of the teams currently racing to complete their missions,” Google said in a statement. “It will explore the lives of their charismatic, quirky members, the sacrifices they have made to get to where they are today, and crucially, what drives them on this incredible journey.”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuXxBoSYmfc]

Moon Shot is slated to take off on March 15 as a free download on the Google Play marketplace. It’ll premiere on YouTube on March 17.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Markets face triple threat of Iran war reigniting, AI bubble popping, and Fed rates rising while epic SpaceX IPO could fuel even more chaos
Investingtech stocks
Markets face triple threat of Iran war reigniting, AI bubble popping, and Fed rates rising while epic SpaceX IPO could fuel even more chaos
By Jason MaJune 7, 2026
38 minutes ago
Nvidia’s CEO says new Vera chip will use SK Hynix’s memory chips
Big TechChips
Nvidia’s CEO says new Vera chip will use SK Hynix’s memory chips
By Yoolim Lee and BloombergJune 7, 2026
2 hours ago
SpaceX’s IPO will also be a massive selling event triggering big price dislocations across the stock market as investors dump shares to buy SPCX
InvestingIPOs
SpaceX’s IPO will also be a massive selling event triggering big price dislocations across the stock market as investors dump shares to buy SPCX
By Jason MaJune 7, 2026
3 hours ago
OpenAI readies ‘superapp’ pivot ahead of planned IPO, FT reports
AIOpenAI
OpenAI readies ‘superapp’ pivot ahead of planned IPO, FT reports
By Amedeo Goria and BloombergJune 7, 2026
7 hours ago
Trump stunned as stocks fall on great jobs report. Barclays explains why ‘we are entering the warning zone’
Big Techtech stocks
Trump stunned as stocks fall on great jobs report. Barclays explains why ‘we are entering the warning zone’
By Eva RoytburgJune 7, 2026
7 hours ago
AI’s mega stock deals raise specter of more shares than buyers
AItech stocks
AI’s mega stock deals raise specter of more shares than buyers
By Jeran Wittenstein, Henry Ren and BloombergJune 7, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
Economy
'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
By Nick LichtenbergJune 7, 2026
12 hours ago
AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
AI
AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 5, 2026
3 days ago
The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously thought as the U.S. shoots down Iranian drones threatening ships and provides 'naval overwatch'
Energy
The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously thought as the U.S. shoots down Iranian drones threatening ships and provides 'naval overwatch'
By Jason MaJune 6, 2026
21 hours ago
I've sold property on California's Central Coast for decades. The buyers chasing ranch and winery estates are after more than a lifestyle
Commentary
I've sold property on California's Central Coast for decades. The buyers chasing ranch and winery estates are after more than a lifestyle
By Lindsey HarnJune 6, 2026
1 day ago
Billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg used mortgages to buy multimillion-dollar mansions. Here’s why that’s a savvy financial decision
Real Estate
Billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg used mortgages to buy multimillion-dollar mansions. Here’s why that’s a savvy financial decision
By Sydney LakeJune 6, 2026
2 days ago
Here's where U.S. debt may become unsustainable with interest payments triggering a default crisis that even steep tax hikes can't fix
Economy
Here's where U.S. debt may become unsustainable with interest payments triggering a default crisis that even steep tax hikes can't fix
By Jason MaJune 6, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.